Music
Junior Walker
1931–1995 · saxophonist, singer, bandleader
Saxophonist whose Jr. Walker & the All Stars recorded "Shotgun" and "What Does It Take" for Motown's Soul label.
- Born
Blytheville, Arkansas- Died
Battle Creek, Michigan
aged 64- Birth name
- Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr.
- Also known as
- Jr. Walker
- Detroit years
- 1964–1970s
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Walker grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and built his band in Battle Creek, Michigan. Johnny Bristol spotted the group and recommended it to Harvey Fuqua, who signed it to his Harvey label; when Motown took over Fuqua's labels, Jr. Walker & the All Stars moved to Berry Gordy's company and its Soul imprint in 1964. Their first Motown hit, "Shotgun", written by Walker and produced by Gordy, featured the Funk Brothers' James Jamerson and Benny Benjamin and reached number one on the R&B chart in 1965. Hits such as "(I'm a) Road Runner", "Shake and Fingerpop" and "What Does It Take (to Win Your Love)" followed; Detroit-area DJs pushed the last one into a single after Motown's quality-control meeting had rejected it. Walker later played the sax solo on Foreigner's "Urgent" and returned to Motown in 1983.
Highlights
- "Shotgun" (1965): No. 1 R&B, No. 4 pop; Grammy Hall of Fame 2002
- "What Does It Take (to Win Your Love)" (1969): No. 1 R&B
- Sax solo on Foreigner's "Urgent" (1981)
- Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame (2007)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Recorded here · 1964–1972
Motown Museum
Motown's Detroit headquarters and studio during his Soul-label hit years; "Shotgun" was cut with Funk Brothers musicians.